33SIXTYEIGHT – a hidden gem in Jalan Batu

Jalan Batu, where is that? It is nowhere near Jalan Kayu of the roti prata fame. Jalan Batu, which means street of stones, is a quaint little HDB enclave in Tanjong Rhu. It is like a place frozen in the 1970s. The public housing flats there are well spaced out and there is a large central green complete with an amphitheater and a large fountain. Old style provisions shops and coffee shops dot the ground floors of the blocks facing the central green. There are groups of people sitting around chatting, playing checkers or just relaxing. In Block 8 of Jalan Batu, a brightly lit modern cafe stands out from its surroundings. 33SixtyEight is like a shiny jewel in Jalan Batu. We think we found a hidden gem in the street of stones.

33SixtyEight describes itself as a microcreamery serving handcrafted gelato and sorbettos, produced in limited quantities. The small ice cream parlour and cafe can accommodate about 20 inside and has tables for another 6 to 8 outside along the covered walkway. It is nicely decorated with fun and childlike graphics which appeal to children as well as the child in any adult who has grown tired of the grungy industrial look in many small cafes these days. Yoga poses of the mascot and witty slogans on the wall are hints that the cafe owner is a bikram yoga teacher.

The menu of 33SixtyEight is fairly straightforward. There are gelato and sorbet of different flavours in the display cabinet, hot and cold beverages, waffles, kaya toast and a few special concoctions like Bum Bum Bomb and Miss Coconut. Their gelato and sorbet come with interesting names like “10 Red Queens”, “the Boss Wife”, “Ba Ba Pink Sheep” and “Chillax on Rocks”. The flavours range from the usual chocolate and strawberry to the more exotic Milosaurus and Whiskey Espresso Mix.

We ordered a pandan waffle with 2 scoops of coconut gelato ($9.70) and the Miss Coconut ($6.60). The waffle was beautifully presented. Instead of maple syrup, you get gula Melaka sauce. The combination of the soft fluffy waffle, crunchy peanuts and coconut gelato provided fabulous layers of textures and taste. Miss Coconut was very interesting too. The coconut gelato was served inside a young coconut. The coconut juice was served separately in a glass. Miss Coconut was refreshing and delightful.

We also had a single scoop of the premium crunchy caramel biscuits gelato with the name “The More We Get Together” ($4.40) and a cold yuzu citron tea ($3.50). The gelato was good with the crusty bits of biscuits providing a contrasting element to the smooth dense gelato.

No service charge or GST is added to the bill. There are public car parks near the cafe and it is not too far a walk from the Mountbatten MRT station.

33SixtyEight is a delightful charming cafe in a quaint neighbourhood. For good gelato or sorbet on a road less traveled, this is the place. Our favourite item in 33SixtyEight is The 6th C, which is the name of the coconut gelato. It is made with fresh coconuts, which is supposedly a wonder food providing multiple health benefits, and its fat free! Delicious fat free gelato with health benefits. We love it. Just don’t forget, like we did, that fat free does not mean calorie free.

We are simply writing as everyday folks about our own experience. Any comment on the food or service or the overall quality of our experience is just an expression of our opinion and is strictly based on what we experienced on our visit to an eatery on a particular day. Information in any blog post is correct as of date of publishing; please check with the restaurant/cafe for updated information. Read About Us.